Max Verstappen’s performance at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix Sprint took a significant hit following a time penalty imposed for a breach of VSC regulations.
The Red Bull Racing driver was handed a five-second time penalty for breaching Virtual Safety Car (VSC) regulations, which ultimately demoted him from third to fourth place in the final classification.
This incident not only impacted Verstappen’s race result but also had implications for his championship lead as the season approaches its climax. The drama unfolded during the closing laps of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix Sprint, which consisted of 24 intense circuits around the challenging Interlagos track.
Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg stopped on track in the closing laps with an engine problem, which forced the race control to deploy the virtual safety car to clear the Haas. Just moments before the VSC was deployed, McLaren had swapped its drivers, which meant that Max Verstappen found himself behind Oscar Piastri.
As the race neared its conclusion, the reigning world champion found himself embroiled in a fierce battle with Piastri. With just a lap remaining and the VSC conditions about to end, Verstappen aimed to capitalize on any opportunity to overtake the McLaren in second place.
However, as the VSC ended, he was found to be 0.63 seconds below the minimum time required by the FIA regulations, which are designed to ensure that all drivers maintain a certain pace during such periods.
This violation was deemed significant enough by the stewards to warrant a penalty. According to Article 56.5 of the FIA Sporting Code, all drivers must remain above a specified delta time during VSC periods to ensure fair competition and safety on track.
After crossing the finish line in what appeared to be third place, Max Verstappen was immediately placed under investigation for the infringement. The stewards reviewed telemetry data, timing information, and heard from both Verstappen and a team representative before delivering their verdict.
They noted that while Verstappen had attempted to rectify his speed as he awaited the end of the VSC, he ultimately failed to do so before the green flag. As a result, the Dutch driver was handed a five-second penalty.
The consequences of the time penalty were twofold: not only did it drop Verstappen from third to fourth behind Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, but it also meant that he lost an additional championship point in his ongoing battle for supremacy in the Drivers’ Championship standings.
The full statement read: “The Stewards heard from the driver of Car 1 (Max Verstappen), team representative and reviewed positioning/marshalling system data, timing, telemetry evidence.
“Article 56.5 states in part “All cars must also be above this minimum time when the FIA light panels change to green.” The driver was 0.63 seconds below the minimum time at VSC End when the FIA light panels changed to green. This indicates a sporting advantage gained under VSC.
“The driver explained that as he was awaiting VSC to end and he got the notification that he was below the minimum time, he attempted to correct the error but failed to do so by the point that the panels turned green. This is a breach and the standard time penalty is applied for the advantage gained at that time.
“The net effect of this put the driver ahead of where he was at the start of the VSC and not as a result of the car in front falling back.”
Despite the setback, Max Verstappen still holds a commanding lead of 44 points over his nearest rival McLaren’s Lando Norris – who won Sao Paulo Grand Prix Sprint – with only four races remaining in the season.
